For nearly thirty years, the flickering orange-on-black screens of the Bloomberg terminal have been omnipresent on trading floors and executive suite desks, maintaining a vital lifeline of data and communication. But now cost-effective competitors like Alpha Terminal have trimmed the data terminal fat, focusing instead on what investors and traders value the most.

As central banks move away from ultra-loose monetary policy, and the global economic expansion matures, bond fund managers will need to ensure their portfolios draw on a truly diverse range of sources of return and carefully consider portfolio risk if they are to generate yield in the current market environment.

Metal firm puts polish on strong day for FTSE

A metal producer helped push the FTSE 100 towards a promising end-of-day total, the index finishing up 65.5 points, or 1.02%, to finish on 6485.1.

Lonmin, a producer of Platinum Group Metals, closed up 245 points, or 7.38%, to close on £35.65.

In addition, the British Sky Broadcasting Group, who kickstarted the FTSE earlier this morning, closed positively, up 31.5 points, or 5.39%, to 616p.

Alternative investment firm Man Group also had a strong day, finishing up 20.5 points, or 3.66%, to close on 581p.

However, these gains were offset by disappointing days from Pearson, an international media firm, which finished down 30.5 points, or 3.39%, to close on 870.5p.

Software firm, BAE Systems, finished down 9 points, or 1.98%, to close on 444.5p, while power firm Drax finished down 12.5 points, or 1.59%, to close on 771.5p.

In the US, the Dow Jones has also made positive early gains, and is up 72.49 points, or 0.55%, on 13208.63.

It has been boosted by Verizon Communications, which is up 1.25 points, or 3.25%, to 39.76, and GEN Motors, which is up 0.95 points, or 3.04%, to 32.25.

However, early losses from International Business Machines, down 0.95 points, or 0.95%, to 102.22, Proctor & Gamble, down 0.46 points, or 0.73%, to 62.5, and Johnson & Johnson, down 0.19 points, or 0.15%, to 64.37 are threatening a good start.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 advanced 119.94, or 0.7%, to 17,394.92 in Tokyo, reversing a 0.3% drop.

Toyota, which sold more cars and trucks than General Motors Corp. in the three months ended March 31, lost 40 yen to 7,230. Honda Motor Co, which had 55% of its sales in North America in 2006, fell 30 yen, or 0.7%, to 4,040 while Nissan Motor Co declined 15 yen, or 1.2%, to 1,205.

If you have any comments you would like to add to this story or would like to speak to its author about a similar subject, telephone Scott Sinclair on 020 7034 2636 or email [email protected]